So, here's the rest of the story of Old Glory as toold tome by my human. In the early years of the nineteenth century, the British and the Americans were involved in what we would call today a “shoving match” over national borders and acts of aggression on the high seas. By 1812, this escalated to a declaration of war by the United States. The British, annoyed by the brash actions of the U.S. were quick to pick up the challenge. In the summer of 1813, British warships appeared in Chesapeake Bay and proceeded up and down the shores, firing pot shots at American installations. Major George Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry ordered an enormous banner to be flown over this garrison that protected the entrance to Baltimore harbor. The British would be able to see it for miles and they would know that the fort was occupied and ready for battle. But, the British mission was only one of reconnaissance, and the ships soon disappeared.
As spring budded in 1814, the British were ready to fight. By late summer, they had laid siege to Washington, burning the White House and any other government buildings they could find. Then, they headed to Baltimore. As they drew up their formidable armada into battle array, a small sloop approached under a flag of truce in hopes of arranging the release of Dr. William Beanes, a physician who had treated not only American casualties, but also British. American Colonel John Skinner and Georgetown attorney Francis Scott Key were successful in negotiating the release, but the British insisted on delaying their departure until after the planned siege because they had gained too much knowledge of the preparations. They were held on their own ship under guard as the bombardment commenced.
At seven o’clock on the morning of September 13th, the British started raining heavy bombshells down upon the fort. These bombshells carried lighted fuses so that they would explode upon reaching their target. However, many of the 1500 fired exploded in mid-air before reaching the target. Superior weapons allowed the attackers to stay out of range of the defenders, but when a close-in assault was attempted, the shore batteries decimated the smaller boats, sinking 22 in all. At sunset, the attack stopped, but at one hour past midnight on the fourteenth, the cannonading began anew with the bombs and rockets that traced eerie red arcs across the night sky. Key and his fellow detainees knew that as long as the shelling continued, the fort had not surrendered. Then, long before daylight, there came a sudden and mysterious silence. Unbeknownst to Key, the British had broken off the attack and retreated. In the predawn darkness, Key waited anxiously for any sign that the fort survived. When daylight came, the flag was still there.
Being an amateur poet, Key was so inspired that he started to write verses on an envelope that he had in his possession, and did not stop until well after he had retired to his hotel in Baltimore. He showed the poem to his brother-in-law, who had it printed and circulated, first in the Baltimore area and then as far away as Georgia and New Hampshire. A note accompanied it: “Tune: Anacreon in Heaven” and it was titled “Defence of Fort M’Henry”. In October of that year, a Baltimore actor sang it in public and called it The Star Spangled Banner.
Now, you know the story. Don’t just rattle off the words when you sing it! Think of them and what they mean to our nation
After passing from owner to owner, and suffering deterioration from well-meaning hands the flag was given to the Smithsonian in 1907. Many of us remember its tattered remnants hanging in the entrance hall of the American History building of the Smithsonian. In 1998, an extensive restoration program was undertaken to preserve this national treasure. Today, visitors to the capitol may see it on display in its controlled atmosphere chamber in the Smithsonian Museum.
When yet more territories petitioned for statehood, it became apparent that adding both a star and a stripe would not work, so the stripes reverted to thirteen in honor of the original colonies that united in revolution against the tyranny of English rule.

My human asked me to remind you that Saturday June 16th is a special shopping day at WMQ, with super four year no-interest financing on many of the BERNINA sewing computers.

If you're going to be in the area on the Fourth of July, don't miss the parade here in Round Valley, and then stop in for a glass of lemonade.